Report: Former Steelers OC Bruce Arians Has Had Talks With Other Teams

File this report in the “doesn\’t mean crap” category but it is my duty to pass along the report by Jason La Canforaon Twitter today that stated former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians has had talks with other NFL teams since it was announced last week that he would not be back with the Steelers in 2012. La Canfora reports that one of those talks was with the Arizona Cardinals, and presumably with head coach Ken Whisenhunt about the vacant quarterbacks coach job. Whisenhunt of course was the Steelers offensive coordinator under head coach Bill Cowher from 2004-2006 and Arians was the Steelers wide receivers coach at that time. La Canfora states that Arians is still intending to stay retired despite the talks with other teams.

Of course it is not out of the question that a few teams could be calling Arians to see if indeed he has any interest in coaching in the NFL. One thing that La Canfora does not state is who called who. Just because Arians answers or returns calls is not surprising, but should he indeed accept any position on a coaching staff, it would mean that he had no intentions or retiring. Of course Arians could change his mind quickly, but I doubt it would be this soon. In the mean time the debate will continue on whether or not Arians retired as head coach Mike Tomlin said in his statement or if he was just not asked to return. Read into this and speculate as you deem necessary.

25 of the 45 attempts went for more than 3 yards. I don’t call a pass attempt which you get less than you get on the average run a success.

Like I said in that thread, it isn’t the bubble screen I had a problem with, it was the fact that every team knew it was coming. Phil Simms called it in the Denver game, here comes the bubble screen. It is basically the only thing we ran out of that formation.

Kenneth Wilt

If he takes a job prior to next season we know what happened…he got run out of town.

SteelersDepot

25 went for 4 or more yards, not 3 and 20 times it produced a first down. If you are going to cherry pick, use the right figures is all I ask.

Dave

Ironic that Kevin Gilbride, another guy that nobody liked, is the OC for the Giants in SB 46

Can I be the first to say I don’t like the playcalling of whoever is the new OC ?

Kenneth Wilt

Last time I looked more than 3 = 4.

Bob

I think that Ariens has this simple throw it deep stategy. If by chance something good happens every 3 downs then the Steelers move the chains. This might be the way to get production out of a Kelly Holcomb but it is stifling the type of production we could get out our offense. He has a top 7 QB, Top 5 set of WRs/TEs and a quick 1000 yard back. What does he do with these weapons year in and year out? Average number of points.

Would it make more sense to sting teams with more runs, short and intermediate passes – setting up the big play when defenses cheat up? Instead Ben’s average attempt is the most in the league meaning he looks 20 yards down field everytime he drops back to pass. Seems like it might be easier to defend if you know its coming.

Ariens doesn’t want Ben to through it away to manage down and distance, afraid it could ruin his career. I think ownership is tired of seeing their franchise get drilled. Ben’s injury may be the reason we didn’t win the division, why we had to go on the road, why we were bounced early from the playoffs.

He genuinely seems surprised when we can’t score TDs in the red zone. How can we get good at that when up and down the field the only plays we run well are deep ins, deep outs and fly patterns? Too bad the endzone isn’t 40 yards deep. If it were, Ariens would still have a job.

Not a Tebow fan, but doesn’t his sucess with a lack of passing numbers seem to indicate field position, limiting turnovers, time of possesion and the ability to score TDs when in the red zone are more important than flashy passing stats?

Strategy. That is what I would pay a coach for. I wouldn’t have him around to ride the coat tails of a franchise QB.